1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automatic swimming pool cover systems, and, in particular to brackets for supporting heavy pool-deck lids covering below-deck troughs housing pool cover systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical deck-lid structures covering troughs housing automatic pool cover systems include brackets secured to or incorporated into a back wall of a housing trough with support arms cantilevered across the trough for supporting heavy modular lid plates or composition trays that in turn integrate, in appearance, with deck top and coping surfaces on, and topping the pool walls.
Repair access to the housing trough is accomplished by lifting the modular lid plates/trays off the supporting cantilever support arms. [See U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,318,243 & 7,011,782, Smith, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,886,188, & 6,769,141 Epple et al, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,862,756 & 6,446,276, Mathis.] Major repairs to the housed pool cover system require removal and re-installation of both the heavy lid modules and the underlying support brackets secured to the back wall of the trough. [See U.S. Pat. No. 7,694,356, Bouiss.]
As noted by Applicant in U.S. Pat. No. 8,438,671, Last [Col. 10, 11. 55-67], pool decks vary in thickness essentially requiring lid modules to be field fabricated [See U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,782, Smith.] Variations in elevation also invariably occur between cooperating elements of constructed pools, the associated field constructed housing troughs, and the components of field assembled installed pool cover systems. Other complications, affecting design of pool-deck lid brackets include pool cover cabling that traverses along the back wall of the housing trough from one end of the trough to the other end coupling one side of the pool cover to the cable windup reels typically located at motor end of the pool cover system on the other side of the pool.
Simply stated, bracket systems for supporting heavy modular lid plates or composition trays must be sturdy, easy to remove, easy to re-install, and adjustable to allow for alignment of the lid modules with each other and with the surrounding pool deck and pool coping and support structures.